Three-Book Giveaway

Hi Everyone, Sandra Orchard here.

I'd like to invite you over to my blog today where I'm giving away three copies of Identity Withheld

to celebrate its being a finalist in three contests.

The story is about a woman relocated across the country by witness security--not exactly a vacation, but...a trip of sorts. So...

I'm sharing pics from my recent inspiring trip to Martha's Vineyard

and inviting my blog readers to share memories of their favorite vacations for a chance to win, and a fourth lucky winner will win a 3-book set of Lisa Belcastro's romance series set on Martha's Vineyard.

Visit here: http://sandraorchard.com/giveaway/a-vacation-inspired-giveaway/ to participate!

The Inspiration Behind Identity Withheld

Hi all, Sandra Orchard here. 

I'm often asked what the inspiration behind a book was. For my newest Love Inspired Suspense, Identity Withheld, it was a youtube clip of a firefighter rescuing a cat from an apartment building fire that a writing friend told me about.

 
Since I'd already introduced my hero, Jake Steele, as a firefighter in Perilous Waters (April 2014), I was looking for a plot angle for his book.

The clip spurred the thought: what if the cat's owner was captured in the clip, along with the firefighter, and it was broadcast to millions worldwide? And what if she’s in witness security because criminals are trying to kill her? And what if they recognize her in the clip?

Now...as sometimes happens, my editor asked for edits on my proposed first scene so the cat rescue didn't actually make the final cut, but the idea of the heroine's fear of being caught on camera at the site of the fire is.

Here's a quick glimpse of the plot:

After exposing an illegal adoption ring, newly named “Kara Grant” is promised safety in Witness Protection. But someone has found her—and wants her dead. If only she could trust the handsome firefighter who catches her fleeing from a suspicious fire. Jake Steele suspects she’s guilty of burning her own home. But how can she tell him who she really is and what she’s been through without bringing danger to the widowed father’s door? Yet with the criminals fast closing in, taking such a risk might be her only chance at survival. Because the price she’ll pay for her silence could be her life.

The inspiration for the story didn't stop with the youtube clip. A Facebook fan was the inspiration behind the heroine's new name. One of my readers' memories about her childhood dog inspired the dog Jake's parents adopted for his son.

This fellow I met while out for a walk became the model.

 And... the full page of acknowledgements at the front of the book is testimony to how many professionals I interviewed to ensure I got the details right, and whose answers, in turn, inspired other vignettes.

But besides keeping readers guessing as to who the bad guy is, I hope readers will take away a couple of deeper messages:

That our greatest trials can be blessings in disguise, and we need to trust God even when everything appears grim and out of control.

Also I hope the heroine inspires readers to stay true to the person God made them to be. One astute reviewer, Jesse Patch, pointed out this take away to me. She appreciated how even though Nicole (aka Kara) was told to be a new person, with a new name and a new job and new friends, inside she stayed true to herself. Jesse wrote: “The world tells us from every angle who to be, but [Kara] didn't cave... she couldn't turn her back on who she really was.”

Your Turn:  Have you had a trial that turned out to be a blessing in the end? Please, share it with us.

Sandra Orchard is a multi award-winning author with Love Inspired Suspense and Revell (Port Aster Secrets mystery series). A mother of three grown children, she lives in Niagara, Canada with her real-life-hero husband and writes full time…when not doting on her young grandchildren. 

You can learn more about Sandra’s books and bonus features at www.SandraOrchard.com or connect at www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard

FEATURED BOOK AND INTERVIEW: IDENTITY WITHHELD BY SANDRA ORCHARD

WITNESS IN HIDING 

After exposing an illegal adoption ring, newly named "Kara Grant" is promised safety in Witness Protection. But someone has found her—and wants her dead. If only she could trust the handsome firefighter who catches her fleeing from a suspicious fire. Jake Steele seems to think she's guilty of burning her own home. But how can she tell him who she really is and what she's been through without bringing danger to the widowed single father's door? Yet with the criminals quickly closing in, taking such a risk might be her only chance at survival. Because the price she'll pay for her silence could be her life.

Interview:
Today we welcome Jake Steele of Identity Withheld releasing from LIS in November.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense.

I’m a widowed, single dad and firefighter. I met Kara when I caught her running away from a suspicious fire. We’d had a series of arsons in the area and when I spotted her, I thought I’d finally caught the culprit. Of course, that hope proved to be short-lived.   

2. Tell us about the woman you’re protecting, Kara Grant. What was your first impression? When did you know it was love?

She’s amazing. She could have turned a blind eye to the crime she saw, but she didn’t. She gave up everything—her family, her job, everything—to enter witness protection. And even with someone targeting her, she resisted accepting my help for fear of the danger she’d put my son and I in. It took me awhile to accept that what I was feeling for her was love. But when she recited a silly romantic line from the Titanic and I realized that I felt the exact same way about her, I guess I knew.

3. What strengths/skills do you have? What is your greatest weakness? 
 
Before she died, my wife used to say I had a hero complex. I can’t standby and not help when I see someone in trouble, so I guess I’m a lot like Kara in that respect. My cousin would say that I tend to make decisions based on what I think is best for others, rather than asking how they feel. I’m not sure that’s so bad. People don’t always act in their own best interests and I don’t want them to pay the price for choosing to act in mine.

4. What scares you?

The thought of letting another woman down.

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

What I’m trying to change is to listen better and to see what people aren’t saying…and probably should be saying. 

6. Where are you in your faith at the start of your story?

I took my faith very seriously, but I couldn’t forgive myself for letting my wife down. 

7. Where are you in your faith at the end of the story?

I realized that sometimes God’s greatest blessings come as a result of our darkest moments. Like the songwriter says, “sometimes it takes a thousand sleepless nights to know He’s really there.” 

8. What is the one thing you would never do?

 Turn my back on someone who needs my help.

9. What do you hope people will learn from your experience in this story? 

Don’t let your fears cause you to let a second chance at love slip through your fingers.